**Shenzhen to start mass testing as China battles COVID-19 surge**.
**Shenzhen, China** – The southern Chinese city of Shenzhen will start mass testing its 17.5 million residents for COVID-19 on Sunday after reporting a surge in cases, authorities said..
The city, which borders Hong Kong, reported 66 new locally transmitted infections for Saturday, up from 39 a day earlier, the local health authority said..
Shenzhen, a tech hub and manufacturing center, has been battling a cluster of infections since the start of the month, linked to an outbreak at a local electronics company..
The city has already implemented a series of measures to contain the spread of the virus, including closing schools and entertainment venues, and suspending public transportation..
The mass testing will be carried out in three phases, with each resident required to take three tests over a period of three days, the health authority said..
The announcement of the mass testing came as China battles a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in several parts of the country..
On Saturday, the National Health Commission reported 1,337 new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections, the highest daily tally since March 2020..
The majority of the new cases were reported in the northeastern province of Jilin, where the provincial capital Changchun and several other cities have been placed under lockdown..
Other provinces that have reported significant increases in cases include Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Guangdong..
The resurgence of COVID-19 cases in China has prompted the government to adopt a more stringent approach to containment..
On Friday, the State Council, China’s cabinet, issued a notice calling for local governments to strengthen epidemic prevention and control measures, and to take decisive action to curb the spread of the virus..
The notice also called for increased vaccination efforts, and for the public to comply with epidemic prevention regulations..
China has administered over 3 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to its population, and over 87% of the population has been fully vaccinated..
However, the country’s vaccination rate among the elderly is still relatively low, and there are concerns about the effectiveness of the vaccines against the Omicron variant of the virus..
The resurgence of COVID-19 cases in China is a reminder that the pandemic is not over, and that the virus continues to pose a significant threat to public health..
It is important for governments and individuals to remain vigilant, and to take the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the virus..
